Conveyer flight



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,187

v E. GRAFF CONVEYER FLIGHT Filed p t. s, 1926 4 0 4/ 4 .20 D If I I l Q7 0 1/// 1 fig. 4

I I g fi E dwar :1 Efaff manic Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD GRAFF, OF MACDONALD, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW RIVER COMPANY, OF MACDONALD, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

' CONVEYER FLIGHT.

Application filed October 5, 192s. Serial No. 139,686.

provision of an improved conveyer flight which is adaptedto convey articles such as coal, along a platform, characterized in patentable novelty over conventional flight constructions by reason of reduction in weight; novelty in design to facilitate sliding of a maximum amount of coal along the platform;

and which is so constructed as to utilize the weight of the coal in maintaining the flight upon the platform against liability of movement to a non-operating position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view taken through a conveyer, showing the relation in which the improved flight is used therewith.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the improved flight, showing its belt or chain connection.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the flight.

Figure l is a transverse sectional view taken through the flight upon a platform, substantially on the line 4-4: of Figure 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the conveyer including a platform B, over which a conveyer chain C is operable, and to which is pivotally connected the flight D of a novel formation.

The platform B is ofa type best adapted for use in handling the particular materials desired. The conveyer A is of course provided in sections, in accordancewith the construction set forth in my co-pending a pli.-.

cation above referred to, and correspon ingly the platform is in sections. The platform is coiultructed to provide a portion 10 along which the coal or other material-is to be conveyed, and a portion 11 over which the flight chain or conveyer belt C is operable, as more specifically set forth in my application above referred to.

The flight chain C includes links 13, which are suitably guided in path of travel by guide means 14 mounted on the platform portion 11, and also detachably cooperating therewith, for guiding the flight chainlinks. The links 13 are elongated and of loop formation, receive suitable pivot ball and socket connections 15 in the ends thereof, to pivotally connect the links in a universal relation, as set forth in my application above referred to. The links which receive the flight are pro vided with laterallyextending lugs 17, apertured for receiving a pintle 18 to which the flight D is pivotally connected so that the flight D may lie flat in coal conveyin relation on the platform portion 10, or e inclined beneath a hood 20 upon a guide rail 21, as more specifically set forth in my application above referred to. i 7

Referring to the flights D, the same are of novel construction, designed to efiicientl convey bituminous or other types of coa either pulverized or in large pieces, without liability of riding upon the coal and collapsing. The flights are so constructed that they will ride from platform to platform on the different sections of the conveyors, witha from end to end, is preferably provided with an elevated ridge or longitudinal extension 30,and from this longitudinal ridge or extension 30 the sides 31 and 32 slope in a con cave diverging relation to the side edges 28 and 29. The concavities of the sides 31' and 32 face laterally and incline to the vertical, to provide forwardly and rearwardly facing pockets at said concave sides, which face in the direction of travel of the conveyor to most efllciently convey coal and perform the functions for which the flight is adapted. The concave sides 31 and 32, adjacent the pivoted and free ends of the flights, slope at 35 into the side edges of the flight, as is well illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. With this construction it is readily obvious that as the conveyer is moved along the platform por tion 10, the weight of the coal abutting against the sloping sides 31 and 32, according to the direction of movement of the flight, will tend to force the flight D more firmly into horizontal position upon the platform portion 10, to seat the same, and prevent the free end of the flight from riding upwardly upon the coalwhich is on the platform.

As a further aid in maintaining the flight properly seated. on the platform portion 10, during a conveying operation, the ridge 30 slopes from the pivoted end portion 25 of the flight upwardly to a peak portion 40, best illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, and from which peak the ridge 30 may slope downwardly at -l1 to the free edge 27 of the flight, as illustrated in Figure 1. With such construction of the flight D, the coal resting upon the top of the ridge 30, along the slope from the peak 40 towards the piv oted end of the flight, will tend to firmly seat the flight upon the platform portion 10, and prevent therising thereof, as is obvious. In order to obviate too much frictional engagement of the flight upon its platform, and lessen the weight thereof, the flight has been made hollow, as illustrated in the various Views, so that the flight bears upon the platform portion 10 only along the edges 43 at the sides of the flight, and at the front and rear edge portions thereof, as is readily apparent from the drawing. This construction provides a pocket or hollow portion 44 facing downwardly on the platform, which is closed during operation of the flight.

The flights are pivotally mounted on the endless conveyer C for vertical swinging, so that they may be positioned in the horizontal coal conveying position, or in the diagonally upwardly extending position, as illustrated in the drawing, upon the return movement of the flight.

The operation of the improved flights has been found to be satisfactory, in performing the functions above outlined.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. As an article of manufacture a conveyer flight includes an attaching end, said conveyer flight from said attaching end to its opposite end taperin in diminishing width,

said conveyer flight from said attaching end flight having a longitudinal central ridge therealong and having the opposite sides from the extreme top edge of said central ridge sloping downwardly to the side longitudinal edges of said flight.

3. As an article of manufacture a conveyer flight having an attaching end, said conve er flight having a longitudinal central ric ge therealong and having the opposite sides from said central ridge sloping downwardly to the side longitudinal edges of said flights, said opposite sloping sides of the flights being concaved.

4. As an article of manufacture a conveyer flight including a substantially barrel shaped attaching end, said conveyer flights from said attaching end to its opposite free end diminishing in width, said conveyer flight having a longitudinal ridge from said attaching end to its opposite end, said flight along said ridge gradually increasing in height from its attaching end outwardly towards its free end, said flight at the opposite sides of said longitudinal ridge sloping downwardly to the longitudinal side edges of the flight.

5. As an article of manufacture a flight for conveyors comprising an elongated pocketed body having the pocket facing down wardly, said body along the central longitudinal axis being of greatest height, and therefrom sloping downwardly in inclined relation toward the opposite side edges there of, the outer sides of the flight having laterally facing cavities.

6. As an article of manufacture a flight for oonveyers comprising an elongated poclo eted body having the pocket facing downwardly, said body along the central longitudinal axis being of greatest height, and therefrom sloping downwardly in inclined relation toward the opposite side edges thereof, said sides of the flight being concaved, said flight being uniformly reduced in width from one end thereof towards the other end thereof, and at the end of greatest width having at taching means thereon.

7. As an article of manufacture a flight for conveyers comprising an elongated pocketed body having the pocket facing downwardly, said body along the central longitudinal axis being of greatest height, and therefrom sloping downwardly in inclined relation toward the opposite side edges thereof, said flight along its longitudinal medial line gradually increasing in height from one end to a point just short of the opposite end thereof and then sloping downwardly towards said opposite end.

8. As anarticle of manufacture a conveyer flight comprising a body having an attaching end and being of general elongated forma ill) llll) tion, the flight body from the attaching end to flight comprising an elon ated body having the opposite end thereof gradually tapering an attaching end, the said flight body from with a diminishing Width, said conveyer the attaching end towards the opposite end 10 flight body from the attaching end graduthereof gradually increasing in height H ally increasing in height towards the Oppothrough the major length thereof.

site end thereof. 9. As an article of manufacture a conveyer EDWARD GRAFF. 

